MODERX BIOLOGICAL INQUIRY. 293 



proaclies the faculty of creation, it is that by which the almost in- 

 spired artist develops out of a rude block of stone, or out of such 

 mean materials as canvas and metallic pastes of various colors, figures 

 which surpass in beauty, and in power of exciting emotion, the objects 

 they pi'ofess to i-epresent. 



Yet these untesthetic and non-appreciative persons are just as highly 

 educated, and in their respective positions as good and useful mem- 

 bers of the social organism, as any that may be found. I maintain 

 only, they would never make good students of biology. 



In like manner, by way of illustrating the foregoing observations, 

 there are some who, in looking at the phenomena of the external uni- 

 verse, may recognize only chance, or the " fortuitous concourse of 

 atoms," producing certain resultant motions. Others, having studied 

 juore deeply the nature of things, will perceive the existence of laws, 

 binding and correlating the events they observe. Others, again, noi 

 superior to the latter in intelligence, nor in power of investigation, 

 may discern a deeper relation between these phenomena and the in- 

 dications of an intellectual or festhetic or moral plan, similar to that 

 which influences their own actions, when directed to the attaining of a 

 particular result. 



These last will recognize in the operations of Nature the direction 

 of a human intelligence, greatly enlarged, capable of modifying at its 

 will influences beyond our control; or they will appreciate in them- 

 selves a resemblance to a superhuman intelligence which enables them 

 to be in sympathy with its actions. 



Either may be true in individual instances of this class of minds ; 

 one or otlier must be true ; I care not which, for to me the propositions 

 are in this argument identical, though in speculative discussions 

 they may be regarded as at almost the opposite poles of religious be- 

 lief. All that I plead for is, that those who have not this perceptive 

 power, and who in the present condition of scientific discussion nre 

 numerically influential, will have tolerance for those who possess it ; 

 and that the ideas of the latter may not be entirely relegated to the 

 domain of superstition and enthusiasm. 



In the case of the want of perception of the Australian, a very 

 simple test can be applied. It is only to photograph the object rep- 

 resented by the artist, and compare the outlines and shades of the 

 pliotograph with those of the picture. If they accord within reason- 

 able limits, the picture is correct to that extent ; at least, however bad 

 the artist, the human face could never be confounded with a ship or 

 a kangaroo. 



Can we apply a similar test to the works of Nature ? I think we 

 can. Suppose that man I purposely use the singular noun to indi- 

 cate that all human beings of similar intelligence and education work- 

 ing toward a definite end will work in a somewhat similar manner 

 suppose, then, I say, that man, endeavoring to carry out some object 



